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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27608282">don’t think about it</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlightwalking/pseuds/starlightwalking'>starlightwalking</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Brother Feels, Canon Compliant, Gen, Heavy Angst, no capital letters we die like men</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 02:02:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>692</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27608282</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlightwalking/pseuds/starlightwalking</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>don’t think about maglor being the only brother who held off on accepting maedhros’ demise. don’t think about him finally accepting it only for maedhros to return. don’t think about everything that came after. don’t think about when maedhros finally leaves maglor at the end of their long and dreadful road. don’t think about any of that.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Maedhros | Maitimo &amp; Maglor | Makalaurë</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>37</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>don’t think about it</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23436616">the king is dead; long live the king</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlightwalking/pseuds/starlightwalking">starlightwalking</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>uhhhhh i wrote this like. 7 months ago? around feanorian week i think? definitely a companion piece to "the king is dead; long live the king" (linked as inspo)</p>
<p>this isn't...quite a fic? but it's also not NOT a fic so idk lol. anyway have some ANGST.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="text_post">
  <p></p>
  <div class="caption_block">
    <p></p>
    <div class="caption_body">
      <p>don’t think about maglor being the only brother who held off on accepting maedhros’ demise. don’t think about him refusing to be the king, only a regent, waiting and waiting for his older brother to return, clinging to any last possible hope that he was still alive. don’t think about him finally, finally coming to terms with the fact that maedhros really is dead, that he really isn’t coming back; don’t think about him accepting his fate as the high king with a heavy heart, finally allowing curufin to craft him a crown, finally setting a date for his coronation. don’t think about him the day he was to be crowned, king of a disunified people, king of only those who followed feanor, still unable to make a deal with fingolfin’s people no matter how he tries. don’t think about him weeping right before the ceremony begins, because this is it, this is really it, this means that maedhros really isn’t coming back–</p>
      <p>and don’t think about thorondor landing in an empty settlement, with all the feanorian noldor in attendance at the coronation, and fingon’s heart filling with despair: where are they? where have they gone? why are they not here to welcome their long-lost king? don’t think about the coronation being interrupted the moment before the crown is placed upon maglor’s head, young celebrimbor barging into the ceremony and shouting that <em>Nelyo, Uncle Nelyo is back!</em> don’t think about everyone immediately rushing away, the crown clattering to the floor, as they run to see fingon and the eagle and their bloody, broken, still breathing prize. don’t think about maglor walking after them all in a daze, his glorious moment snatched away from him but his elder brother returned in one fell swoop. don’t think about fingon spending every waking moment at maedhros’ side as he recovers, while maglor still has to lead– still has to be the pretend king– still cannot be with his brother when he needs it the most–</p>
      <p>don’t think about the bittersweetness of maedhros relinquishing the crown to fingolfin. of maglor knowing he was never enough of a leader, that he could not in thirty years have done was maedhros did in one. don’t think about his rage, how he wanted more, deserved more, than this false promise of renown and respect, that maedhros is spurning everything their father fought for, that he’s being a fool– (maglor may have taken after nerdanel most of his brothers, but he is still his father’s son.) don’t think about the hollow acknowledgement that maedhros is, of course, <em>right</em>, that this is what he should have done long before, but never even saw as an option. don’t think about his relief to fade back into maedhros’ shadow mingled with resentment at having been once so great, so honored–</p>
      <p>don’t think about maglor alone, hundreds of years later, with not even a silmaril to comfort him. don’t think about him hearing of maedhros’ death– his true death– alone and afraid and in torment when <em>he should have been there, why wasn’t he there–</em> don’t think about him refusing to believe it this time, not when he was wrong before and paid the price for it– don’t think about the continent that he bled for, the victory that everyone he loved died for, being swept away by the violent sea that consumed the jewel he cast away, as if it meant nothing to the valar. as if he and his family had ever meant anything to them.</p>
      <p>don’t think about maglor betrayed by maedhros once again, because he <em>left</em> him, which he swore he would never do again, never ever ever, even when it was just the two of them left. don’t think about maglor unsure of who it was who left who, when their father’s jewels burned their hands: had he run to the sea first, or had maedhros turned inland to the fire?</p>
      <p>don’t think about any of that. and especially don’t think about maglor’s haunting song on the ocean air, a song that is about every pain he endured and still endures, a song that starts and ends with maedhros.</p>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Rebloggable on my Maedhros blog <a href="https://surpassingvalour.tumblr.com/post/614173915287355392/dont-think-about-maglor-being-the-only-brother">here</a>.</p>
<p>Thanks for reading, and please comment if you enjoyed!<br/>You can find me on tumblr <a href="http://arofili.tumblr.com/">@arofili</a>.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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